Saturday, September 8, 2012

On Friday, September 7, it took me longer than usual to actually
get up from the bed. I was a little weak and dizzy. Notwithstanding, I managed
to pull myself up and follow my same routine, with some minor adjustments. As
usual, I read Bible passages from the book of Peter Chapter 1 and I prayed asking
God for endurance and courage to help me reach the finish line.

This day instead of drinking pure water from the faucet in
the kitchen, which was becoming little unbearable, a friend, Mr. G. Grant suggested
that I add a lime. So then, I drove to the grocery store and bought a lime for $0.25.
I added it to my drinking water for the day and it presented me with a new flavor
which was tasteful – but not filling. Although
it helped change things up a bit, throughout the day, I found myself feeling
weak, tired, and dizzy.

Then came 8:20 p.m., when I drove to the grocery store and
spent my last seventy-five cents ($0.75) on a can of Pork ‘n’ Beans and a small
package of smoked ham. It was a satisfying meal to end a long week.

At the end of my drive to sustain the teaching peace
education as a single subject in Liberia, I ended up losing five (5) lbs which,
according to my fiancé, I didn’t have to spare!
Overall, it was a great experience. I say thanks to all of you out there
for your support both in cash and letters of encouragement. Words are inadequate
to express how much my heart is filled with sincere gratitude. As one of the
letter from Mr. Z. Lomo who lives in Uganda states “While I would have loved to
donate, my current situation limits me from doing anything. I do, however,
believe that the Lord God will provide for the good cause you are sacrificing
for”.

Amount Received:

$60.00 – received from Washington, DC – USA

$50.00 – received from Plainsboro, New Jersey; USA

What Can You Do?

Share the link, ask your friends to also spread the word, take
a look at the organization’s expenses chart at the end of this page and make a
needed donation to keep our work going.

Thanks for your support!! I am signing off on “Living on One
Dollar ($1.00 USD) A Day”

Thursday, September 6, 2012

This time around, I woke
up and ran to the kitchen, collected the trash, and took it outside to be
picked up.It was trash day for the week
but we didn't have much for the dumpster!I continued with my regular routine and proceeded to read Bible passages
from the book of James Chapter Five, and I prayed asking God for strength and
courage to reach the finish line.

After praying, I sustained
myself with drinking water for most of the day. Around 8:00 p.m. I began to
prepare my fourth $1 meal. Today, I bought a green plantain and a can of mixed
vegetables, which ended up making a pretty hearty meal, again for exactly one
dollar! Please view the pictures below.

What can you do:

Share the link, ask
your friends to also spread the word, take a look at the organization’s
expenses chart, and make a needed donation to keep our work going.

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Once again I woke up
this morning, used the bathroom, and proceeded to read Bible passages from the book
of James Chapter Four, and I prayed asking God for strength as I continue to press
forward.

After praying, I
repeated my previous approach and started off by drinking water all day. However,
this time around, as I visited the kitchen, several times I found myself
staring at the refrigerator. I could not
believe that I had not opened it in three days. As I looked at it, I couldn’t even
remember what was in it anymore, what foods I would normally be eating, and
what other food may be about to expire.

Notwithstanding, around
8:10 p.m. I went back to the kitchen to begin preparing my $1 meal. Today, I bought
a banana, an ear of corn, and three packages of Ramen noodles, for exactly one
dollar! Please view pictures below.

Amount Received Today:

$200.00 – received from
Gaustadveien, Oslo; Norway

$50.00 – received from
Kämpchenstr, Mülheim an der Ruhr; Germany

What can you do:

Share the link, ask
your friends to also spread the word, take a look at the organization’s
expenses chart, and make a needed donation to keep our work going.

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

I
woke up this morning, September 4, read Bible passages from the book of James
Chapter Three and I prayed asking God for strength as I continue on this path.

As
usual, I started off by drinking water all day; unfortunately, I had to get
water from the faucet in the kitchen. And every time as I visited the kitchen, I
became annoyed because I could not eat any food in there.

Around
9:20 p.m., it was time to use the kitchen when I came home from the grocery
store.

This
time around, I bought a banana, one grape, an ear of corn, and a can of
Campbell’s Chicken Noodle soup, all for one dollar! Please view pictures below.

What
can you do:

Share
the link, ask your friends to also spread the word, take a look at the
organization’s expenses chart on this blog page, and make a needed donation to
keep our work going.

Monday, September 3, 2012

I
woke up this morning, September 3, 2012, read Bible passages from the book of James Chapters One and
Two, and I prayed asking God for strength as I take on this endeavor.

I
started off by drinking water all day, but at various points during the day, I had
to watch others eat their meal. Then came 8:10pm, when it was my time to eat. I drove to the grocery store and spent my first
“Dollar” on a can of SpaghettiOs with meatballs.

Yes,
I must admit, Day One began with a little rough start, seeing and smelling barbeque
outside of the house as people celebrated Labor Day; notwithstanding, I pulled
through. Thanks for your prayers and thoughts.

Amount
Received:

$100.00
– received from Punta Gorda, Florida – USA

$40.00
– received from Cambridge, University of Cambridge, UK

Amount
Pledged:

$100.00
pledged – from Fairfax, Virginia – USA

Solidarity:

Ms.
Rosetta Quiah has pledged to set aside three days to live on “A dollar A Day” beginning
Tuesday, September 4 through Thursday, September 6, 2012.

What
can you do:

Share
the link, ask your friends to also spread the word, take a look at the
organization’s expenses chart, in the preceding blog post immediately after the pictures below and make a needed donation to keep our work going.

September
10th is the first day of school in Liberia. Since September 2009, the
Center for Peace Education (CPE) has taught Peace Education as a single subject
in seven schools and conducted peer mediation training in several local
communities. However, this academic year CPE risks not teaching because of lack
of funds.

To
help raise funds to continue teaching peace education, I am going to live on One
Dollar ($1.00 USD) a day beginning Monday, September 3rd through
Friday September 7th. I will
keep you posted about my daily activities while living on $1.00 a day – through
face book and CPE’s blog.

Please
find below a breakdown of the organization’s expenses. You may use it as a guide to determine how
you want to support the continued teaching of peace education in post-conflict
Liberia.

MONTHLY
EXPENSES

Nature of Expenditure

Quantity

Description

Unit Price

Total Cost

Supplies /
Material:

Chalk /
Crayons

1 doz

Mixed color
chalk / crayons for teaching and tutoring

$1.50

$1.50

Pens

½
doz

Mixed color pens for teaching, grading purposes

$3.00

$1.50

Pencils

½
doz

Pencils for teachers, students, and office use

$2.00

$1.00

Teacher’s
Plan Books

3

For teachers use - planning and records

$5.00

$15.00

Construction
paper

½
doz

Mixed color paper for class activities & teaching

$5.00

$2.50

Correction
fluid

1

Used for correcting written errors in compositions

$2.00

$2.00

Sharpener

3

Used by teachers and students to sharpen pencils

$0.25

$0.75

Ream of Paper

1

Used for communication, teaching, etc

$4.00

$4.00

Supplies Subtotal:

$28.25

Personal Direct Cost

Volunteer Teachers/ Advisors

2

Stipend for teachers’ (transportation, lunch, etc)

$18.75
wk

$150.00

Coordinator / (M&E)

1

Support staff, Monitoring and evaluation

$5.00
wk

$20.00

Personal
Direct Cost

$170.00

Total: $198.25 Per Month – To
teach Peace Education in one school and conduct Peer Mediation training in one community

Total: $2,000 Per Year* - To
teach Peace Education in one school and conduct Peer Mediation training in one Community

*There
are six Marking Periods for each academic school year (September – June);
approximately TEN MONTHS

To
make a donation, (or tax-deductable contribution) please visit CPE website at

About Me

My name is Mainlehwon Ebenezer Vonhm and I was born and raised in Liberia. I fled Liberia during the height of the civil war, lived as a refugee in several West African countries, and eventually, with the help of some American educators, was granted an opportunity to pursue my education in the USA. For the past 10 years, I have lived in the US, studying and learning about how peace education can serve as a pathway to peaceful civility and coexistence. Now I have decided to return home to help in the post-conflict reconstruction efforts. My goal is to build a comprehensive peace education program for Liberia and teach mediation as a means of achieving harmony and a better life for future generations. Quite simply, I'd rather plant seeds of peace. For more info:
Please visit WWW.PEACEEDU.ORG